Police: Dcf Workers Stole From Dementia Patient

December 31, 2009|By Eliot Kleinberg The Palm Beach Post

Two Department of Children & Families employees and a third woman systematically drained $20,000 from the bank account of a woman who was suffering from dementia, going so far as to pose as the victim in case a bank called to verify a withdrawal, the Palm Beach Police said.

The thefts occurred while the Palm Beach woman was in the care of the DCF.

Mindi Marie Berry, 33, of Palm Beach Gardens, is charged with conducting an organized scheme to defraud, grand theft from a person over 65, fraudulent use of a credit card and fraudulent use of personal information.

Greta L. Lambert, 41, of Boynton Beach, is charged with organizing a scheme to defraud and grand theft from a person over 65. Both Berry and Lambert are DCF employees.

And Alexis M. White, 19, of West Palm Beach, is charged with conducting an organized scheme to defraud, grand theft from a person over 65 and forging checks.

A fourth person is being sought, police said.

The woman's son - neither is identified - had contacted police Nov. 2 and said he had discovered fraudulent activity in his mother's bank accounts.

At that time the woman was in a hospital, but before that she had been in the care of a DCF case worker, the release said.

Detectives found more than 20 fraudulent transactions in the victim's five bank accounts, including ATM withdrawals, check cashing and purchases at many businesses, the release said.